That's how good Anderson Silva was - B.J. Penn thought 'The Spider' was faking it when he got clipped by Chris Weidman in first fight
Former welterweight and lightweight champion B.J. Penn has recalled the time he thought Anderson Silva was faking injury in his defeat to Chris Weidman.
Penn, a former multi-weight titleholder, and Joe Rogan were discussing the most elite fighters in the sport's history during a recent episode of JRE. The two men agreed that Anderson Silva must be regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time.
'The Prodigy' admitted that because Silva was so good in the octagon, when he was clipped by Weidman at UFC 162 while doing his signature head movement, Penn thought he was faking and couldn't believe it when he was knocked out.
"He was so good even when he got hit by Weidman that one time and went down, I thought he was faking. I thought he was faking! That's how good Anderson was in the cage."
The accomplishments of 'The Spider' in the cage leave little to debate about where he sits in history. Anderson Silva was a pioneer for the growing sport and has helped shape it to what we know today.
The Brazilian still holds the record for longest ever UFC title reign at 2,457 days. This also led to him having the longest win streak in the UFC, with 16-straight victories over the course of six years. Both records still stand today, despite Silva leaving the UFC in 2020.
Listen to the full episode of the Joe Rogan Experience with B.J. Penn here.
Why is B.J. Penn is running for Governor of Hawaii?
On the same episode, B.J. Penn went into detail about why he's decided to run for Governor of Hawaii.
A passionate Penn said his basis for running is for the people of his state. The former fighter told Rogan that he received nothing but support, even after his losses. 'The Prodigy' wants to repay the people of Hawaii.
"I'm not here to take the people's money. The money that comes from the Government, I want to put to programmes and I want to make this governors adminastration as powerful as it can be... I'm here to work... I want to work well with everybody. I would have never had the life I had without the people of Hawaii."
The Hawaii election will take place on November 8, 2022.
Watch a clip of B.J. Penn talking about his candidacy here: